Dear Ms. Wachter, I just want to say "Grazie" for taking side with Domenico Scarlatti. Not only as a musician, nor because I am from Napoli, but I completely agree with you. Domenico Scarlatti, was a true genius and should never be compared to anyone. I have profound love and veneration for J.S. Bach, but Scarlatti is in its own world. Also i want to thank you for defining him a "great visionary and romantic composer, because he really was". I find his music to be so passionate, full of emotions, full of incredible innovations and yes, to use a word a little more "modern", very romantic. A musician who was able to blend the beauty and the colors of his Napoli, with the beautiful culture of Spain, creating something unique, never heard before. Molte grazie for paying such a tribute to this wonderful musician. Greetings to you!
THANK YOU for this lecture. I am always deeply pissed in academic circles when D. Scarlatti is labeled inferior to J.S. Bach or a "trivial" composer. I remember actually storming out of a lecture at Chapman University when a harpsichord professor (in master class) belittled my choice of repertoire by playing 3 very challenging Scarlatti Sonatas and not choosing to play the Bach's 6th Partita.. like somehow I was an inferior keyboardist because I chose Scarlatti (Ironically I was preparing the Bach 6th Partita and knew it well).. I remember the dean of my college in 1992 tell me I should not do my MM thesis on Spanish Instrumental Imagery in the D. Scarlatti Sonatas and he said "James, I suggest you pick a "meatier" composer... I told him no thank you .. I'm a vegan LOL. But seriously I'm so glad someone is talking about this. Last year I had a private harpsichord student who preparing some Scarlatti for her BM recital at UCI. One of the keyboard instructor's didn't want to sign off on her choice to open her recital with Scarlatti. Can you believe it? Jeez. She planning to create a unique look at Spanish repertoire also playing some of the books of Albeniz' Iberia and the de Falla Harpsichord Concerto. I remember getting in a little tiff with her professor. He said things like Scarlatti is for "beginners" and that all the Sonatas are in simple A B format LOL. >.. Ok thanks for letting me vent LOL
"The ear must find the music pleasing." What a perfect quote from Scarlatti! I've always felt that unlike some composers, he always let his ears be the final arbitrator on what should be played. How nice to find out that my intuition was right. Thank you for this wonderful series on Scarlatti - one of the greatest composers of all time. I hold him in the same esteem that I have for Bach and Handel.
Well said. And at some point in time of the not too distant future a young virtuoso pianist will trigger a resurgence of interest in the venerable music of Domenico Scarlatti the unassuming musical master craftsman.
Thank you Claire Watcher! I just got through listening to all six of your videos on Scarlatti. When I was a lad of 15 or so, and after 7 or 8 years of piano lessons, I stumbled upon the great composer, Domenico Scarlatti in a listening booth in my public library. I just wanted to hear the sound of a harpsichord. Not surprisingly, the artist on the record was playing Scarlatti sonatas. I was in love. I wondered at that time "Where have you been all my life? Why were you kept from me"? Part 6 of your videos help explain the undeserved snobbishness of others. I liked what Scarlatti said, and you pointed out, that first the music must please the ears. My best friend at the time, today a great concert pianist and teacher, told me that Scarlatti sonatas were mere "etudes". I disagreed. For the last 55 years of my life, I have binged on Scarlatti music. I have to thank you, Claire, for these delightful and informative videos. I have read listened, and watched many videos about Scarlatti. Yours please me most. One of the things that please me most about music is the visual aspect. With Scarlatti's music, the visual effects are profound. Again, many thanks.
Revealing, elegant, touching (I cried), enlightening, totally accessible to non musicians, brilliant, masterful... Hey there's no other word left but - Bravo!
Brava. Very well done. Now listeners may like to hear harpsichordist and organist Scott Ross play all 555 of Scarlatti's sonatas. He was the first individual keyboardist to accomplish this Herculean feat. (Available on YT.)
I have watched all the six episodes in a row! Excellent overview and educational videos, even though I am not a musically trained] they helped me appreciate Scarlatti's music even more. It is also amazing to me that his music is not played more often, or that performers in many cases miss the point. Your thoughtful comments and explanations on the possible intent of some of the sonatas are very inspiring, even if we will never know Scarlatti exact purpose when writing them. Scarlatti rocks!!!
At age of 16 had classical guitar lessons in Spain. Back to the states and in college started to teach myself Scarlatti sonatas. Been 45 years later after retired career in medical art and still discovering all of the 550 works by DS. If you can listen to a musical work 2, 5 , 10 times and always love the phrases this is what makes music great. I do this each day when I wake up if I still like my painting I know it is good and I am happy praise the Lord
I have been a victim of the bias against Dominico Scarlatti it was only two days ago that I thought why not give his music an ear via Ivo Pogorelić? I was totally blown away. I could not fathom how I had not heard some of these pieces countless times before. Beethoven is my all time go to composer yet I feel cheated at not stumbling across or encountering Scarlatti’s music in 55 years of my life more often. His move to Spain midway in his life may partly be due to the stuffy conservatism of one of the music epicentres in Europe if not the leading at the time. Had he gone to Vienna and resided there till the end of his days he would’ve spiralled into a miserable abyss. In Spain being at the disposal of the then monarchy he was given freedom and full latitude to devote himself to producing music that both embraced and expressed the fullness of life et cetera. He was clearly better off from being surrounded by the admirers of his contemporaries. I can’t help drawing some loose similarities between Scarlatti and Haydn, two ageing guys who were still pumping out youthful music that was adventurous in composition as it is still refreshing to listen to in this day and age.Some of the musical construction described in this six part series can also be said of Joseph Haydn for example quick changes to the minor key and rampant exploration of varying cadences throughout some of his music.Haydn came from a rural humble background where he was exposed to folk music through his parents and his parents neighbours as a young boy so that as opposed to Scarlatti who discovered the rural folk music of Spain as in flamenco midlife ,there is a definitive folky connection between the two eminent composers. Even if Joseph Hyden was influenced by some of the music of Domenico Scarlatti it could’ve only reinforced his love of folk music he already had from the influence of his formative years with his father and mother who were apparently untrained vocalists. This six part series was very enlightening and will have me adding many many hours of Scarlatti’s fine music to my TH-cam playlist. Thank you for your great endeavour.
Some very original thoughts, some of which are based on an interesting and highly unusual interpretation of the known details, along with a remarkable freedom of thought in the area of factual discipline. In one respect you are absolutely correct - Pogorelic’s Scarlatti is astonishing.
Thank you for this wonderful series on D Scarlatti. I first heard his music as a teenager at art college, where I immediately loved it, and in the intervening 30 years Scarlatti's music has been a constant presence on my music stand as I endeavour to improve my piano playing. A couple of months ago I married my Madrileno girlfriend, and, since I now spend a good deal of my time in Spain, absorbing the culture and language, my interest and admiration for Scarlatti has found a new relevance. I walked across Madrid trying to locate the site of Scarlatti's house. These videos provide a really inspiring and educative examination of one of the greatest bodies of keyboard music.
Thank you so much for this superb and insightful series series on Scarlatti. I have watched it several times and you have indeed deepened my love for Domingo.
This was a lovely series, and I've learned a lot on one of my favorite composers. I think there are even more avenues of his genius to explore, but perhaps you'll save those for another series!
This is a really thoughtful series, spoiled only by the grotesque, lazy and disrespectful mispronunciation of the composer’s name; it’s ‘Scarlatti’, nor ‘Scarlarddi’.
A really thoughtful series doesn’t need to be spoiled by a nit picker or as we say here an Erbsenzähler (a pea counter). A good musician doesn’t have to be a perfect linguist. Not lazy, not disrespectful. Maybe you should study linguistics and then you would know why North Americans transpose the t sound to d and where that comes from.
@@Maisiewuppp It’s not nit-picking, the mispronunciation is jarring (I speak Italian), and it is entirely disrespectful to mutilate an Italian name like Scarlatti and turn it into something like ‘Scar-larddy’ as though it’s a free-for-all as has been done here; it has nothing to do whatsoever with the legitimate pronunciation of American-English, except that an awareness of the inappropriateness of that pronunciation when used on European names might be helpful. I am clearly not asking anyone to be a perfect linguist, but I am suggesting that some attempt to pronounce correctly with a modicum of respect a very straightforward name in an absolutely mainstream musical language is not too much to ask. Condoning such mispronunciations as this is unhelpful, as is calling someone who thinks names should be pronounced correctly a ‘pea counter’. It works the other way too: Italian has only 21 letters (j k w x and y are only used in loan words from other languages); the k sound is spelled by using ch; therefore an Italian seeing the name Chicago would think Chi ? (Who ?) pronounced ‘Kee’, and would therefore mispronounce it ‘Kee-ca-goh which is equally ridiculous, disrespectful, and indefensible.
Dear Ms. Wachter, I just want to say "Grazie" for taking side with Domenico Scarlatti. Not only as a musician, nor because I am from Napoli, but I completely agree with you. Domenico Scarlatti, was a true genius and should never be compared to anyone. I have profound love and veneration for J.S. Bach, but Scarlatti is in its own world. Also i want to thank you for defining him a "great visionary and romantic composer, because he really was". I find his music to be so passionate, full of emotions, full of incredible innovations and yes, to use a word a little more "modern", very romantic. A musician who was able to blend the beauty and the colors of his Napoli, with the beautiful culture of Spain, creating something unique, never heard before.
Molte grazie for paying such a tribute to this wonderful musician. Greetings to you!
THANK YOU for this lecture. I am always deeply pissed in academic circles when D. Scarlatti is labeled inferior to J.S. Bach or a "trivial" composer. I remember actually storming out of a lecture at Chapman University when a harpsichord professor (in master class) belittled my choice of repertoire by playing 3 very challenging Scarlatti Sonatas and not choosing to play the Bach's 6th Partita.. like somehow I was an inferior keyboardist because I chose Scarlatti (Ironically I was preparing the Bach 6th Partita and knew it well).. I remember the dean of my college in 1992 tell me I should not do my MM thesis on Spanish Instrumental Imagery in the D. Scarlatti Sonatas and he said "James, I suggest you pick a "meatier" composer... I told him no thank you .. I'm a vegan LOL. But seriously I'm so glad someone is talking about this. Last year I had a private harpsichord student who preparing some Scarlatti for her BM recital at UCI. One of the keyboard instructor's didn't want to sign off on her choice to open her recital with Scarlatti. Can you believe it? Jeez. She planning to create a unique look at Spanish repertoire also playing some of the books of Albeniz' Iberia and the de Falla Harpsichord Concerto. I remember getting in a little tiff with her professor. He said things like Scarlatti is for "beginners" and that all the Sonatas are in simple A B format LOL. >.. Ok thanks for letting me vent LOL
Magnífico trabajo! Muchas gracias!
Thank you for this enlightening video course.
"The ear must find the music pleasing." What a perfect quote from Scarlatti! I've always felt that unlike some composers, he always let his ears be the final arbitrator on what should be played. How nice to find out that my intuition was right. Thank you for this wonderful series on Scarlatti - one of the greatest composers of all time. I hold him in the same esteem that I have for Bach and Handel.
Well said. And at some point in time of the not too distant future a young virtuoso pianist will trigger a resurgence of interest in the venerable music of Domenico Scarlatti the unassuming musical master craftsman.
what piece is being played at 3:56?
@@simonlong4718
K212
Thank you Claire Watcher! I just got through listening to all six of your videos on Scarlatti. When I was a lad of 15 or so, and after 7 or 8 years of piano lessons, I stumbled upon the great composer, Domenico Scarlatti in a listening booth in my public library. I just wanted to hear the sound of a harpsichord. Not surprisingly, the artist on the record was playing Scarlatti sonatas. I was in love. I wondered at that time "Where have you been all my life? Why were you kept from me"? Part 6 of your videos help explain the undeserved snobbishness of others. I liked what Scarlatti said, and you pointed out, that first the music must please the ears. My best friend at the time, today a great concert pianist and teacher, told me that Scarlatti sonatas were mere "etudes". I disagreed. For the last 55 years of my life, I have binged on Scarlatti music. I have to thank you, Claire, for these delightful and informative videos. I have read listened, and watched many videos about Scarlatti. Yours please me most. One of the things that please me most about music is the visual aspect. With Scarlatti's music, the visual effects are profound. Again, many thanks.
Revealing, elegant, touching (I cried), enlightening, totally accessible to non musicians, brilliant, masterful... Hey there's no other word left but - Bravo!
Brava. Very well done. Now listeners may like to hear harpsichordist and organist Scott Ross play all 555 of Scarlatti's sonatas. He was the first individual keyboardist to accomplish this Herculean feat. (Available on YT.)
All I can say is: THANK YOU!
¡Viva Scarlatti!
I have watched all the six episodes in a row! Excellent overview and educational videos, even though I am not a musically trained] they helped me appreciate Scarlatti's music even more.
It is also amazing to me that his music is not played more often, or that performers in many cases miss the point.
Your thoughtful comments and explanations on the possible intent of some of the sonatas are very inspiring, even if we will never know Scarlatti exact purpose when writing them.
Scarlatti rocks!!!
This has been a wonderful series. Very informative and presented clearly and precisely. Scarletti‘s music just leaps off the page onto the keyboard.
Thank you! This series was great! I love Scarlatti!
At age of 16 had classical guitar lessons in Spain. Back to the states and in college
started to teach myself Scarlatti sonatas. Been 45 years later after retired career in
medical art and still discovering all of the 550 works by DS. If you can listen to
a musical work 2, 5 , 10 times and always love the phrases this is what makes music
great. I do this each day when I wake up if I still like my painting I know it is good
and I am happy praise the Lord
A wonderful, clever, profound lecture of Scarlatti's music. Thank you.
Thank you for your great series.
I love playing Scarlatti! This was wonderful!
I have been a victim of the bias against Dominico Scarlatti it was only two days ago that I thought why not give his music an ear via Ivo Pogorelić? I was totally blown away. I could not fathom how I had not heard some of these pieces countless times before. Beethoven is my all time go to composer yet I feel cheated at not stumbling across or encountering Scarlatti’s music in 55 years of my life more often. His move to Spain midway in his life may partly be due to the stuffy conservatism of one of the music epicentres in Europe if not the leading at the time. Had he gone to Vienna and resided there till the end of his days he would’ve spiralled into a miserable abyss. In Spain being at the disposal of the then monarchy he was given freedom and full latitude to devote himself to producing music that both embraced and expressed the fullness of life et cetera. He was clearly better off from being surrounded by the admirers of his contemporaries.
I can’t help drawing some loose similarities between Scarlatti and Haydn, two ageing guys who were still pumping out youthful music that was adventurous in composition as it is still refreshing to listen to in this day and age.Some of the musical construction described in this six part series can also be said of Joseph Haydn for example quick changes to the minor key and rampant exploration of varying cadences throughout some of his music.Haydn came from a rural humble background where he was exposed to folk music through his parents and his parents neighbours as a young boy so that as opposed to Scarlatti who discovered the rural folk music of Spain as in flamenco midlife ,there is a definitive folky connection between the two eminent composers. Even if Joseph Hyden was influenced by some of the music of Domenico Scarlatti it could’ve only reinforced his love of folk music he already had from the influence of his formative years with his father and mother who were apparently untrained vocalists.
This six part series was very enlightening and will have me adding many many hours of Scarlatti’s fine music to my TH-cam playlist. Thank you for your great endeavour.
Some very original thoughts, some of which are based on an interesting and highly unusual interpretation of the known details, along with a remarkable freedom of thought in the area of factual discipline.
In one respect you are absolutely correct - Pogorelic’s Scarlatti is astonishing.
Thank you for this wonderful series on D Scarlatti. I first heard his music as a teenager at art college, where I immediately loved it, and in the intervening 30 years Scarlatti's music has been a constant presence on my music stand as I endeavour to improve my piano playing. A couple of months ago I married my Madrileno girlfriend, and, since I now spend a good deal of my time in Spain, absorbing the culture and language, my interest and admiration for Scarlatti has found a new relevance. I walked across Madrid trying to locate the site of Scarlatti's house. These videos provide a really inspiring and educative examination of one of the greatest bodies of keyboard music.
RATHER YOU SHHOULD WRITE MADRILENA GIRLFRIEND.
Too right! Glad she hasn't seen this.
Thank you so much for this superb and insightful series series on Scarlatti. I have watched it several times and you have indeed deepened my love for Domingo.
Domingo?
The composer’s first name was Domenico - he was Italian, not Spanish.
Thank you Ms. Wachter. Wonderful series.
This was a lovely series, and I've learned a lot on one of my favorite composers. I think there are even more avenues of his genius to explore, but perhaps you'll save those for another series!
What a wonderful series. Thank you so much.
I love Scarlatti and now I even know why! thanks you!
Here I am at the end of the last video of this series dedicated to Domenico scarlatti and I must say Brava !! I say this from his great admirer
I loved the series but Im disappointed you didnt do an analysis for k545. Please do another part! XD Loved the series!!!
Excellent ! Thank you for the series.
such incredible presentation! thanks so much!
nice program.
You got to love the remark.. " and if you find one (score).. Call me!" I'm looking now...
Great series! So bad, it has so few views...
Laghted my ass off on the joke about parallel fifth :D
This is very nice. I only wish that each piece was identified
what is the sonata that ends this video?
Thank you so much for those videos.
K.454
Does anyone know the name of the song in the intro? It’s the same one that plays at 2:00
K96
This is a really thoughtful series, spoiled only by the grotesque, lazy and disrespectful mispronunciation of the composer’s name; it’s ‘Scarlatti’, nor ‘Scarlarddi’.
A really thoughtful series doesn’t need to be spoiled by a nit picker or as we say here an Erbsenzähler (a pea counter). A good musician doesn’t have to be a perfect linguist. Not lazy, not disrespectful. Maybe you should study linguistics and then you would know why North Americans transpose the t sound to d and where that comes from.
@@Maisiewuppp
It’s not nit-picking, the mispronunciation is jarring (I speak Italian), and it is entirely disrespectful to mutilate an Italian name like Scarlatti and turn it into something like ‘Scar-larddy’ as though it’s a free-for-all as has been done here; it has nothing to do whatsoever with the legitimate pronunciation of American-English, except that an awareness of the inappropriateness of that pronunciation when used on European names might be helpful.
I am clearly not asking anyone to be a perfect linguist, but I am suggesting that some attempt to pronounce correctly with a modicum of respect a very straightforward name in an absolutely mainstream musical language is not too much to ask.
Condoning such mispronunciations as this is unhelpful, as is calling someone who thinks names should be pronounced correctly a ‘pea counter’.
It works the other way too: Italian has only 21 letters (j k w x and y are only used in loan words from other languages); the k sound is spelled by using ch; therefore an Italian seeing the name Chicago would think Chi ? (Who ?) pronounced ‘Kee’, and would therefore mispronounce it ‘Kee-ca-goh which is equally ridiculous, disrespectful, and indefensible.
It's just the American accent that one needs to retune to 🎉